Warm
by II PermaFrost II
Summary: Short Drabble. Winter's Fury is unleashed upon Burgess as Jack's demands to know who he is go unanswered.


Disclaimer: I do not and never will own Rise of the Guardians.

Title: Warm

Author PermaFrost

Warm

There was no moon that night. There was no moon to light cold darkness with pale light. There was no moon, there were no stars and there would be no wishes that night.

The Earth below was blinded in the darkness by shrieking wind and cold snow and ice that blasted the living with fury. Those that could huddled together in the dark of their huts and homes, praying for the dawn to bring them relief from Winter's rage. Those that were alone, sought refuge wherever they could and begged for mercy from the angry heavens.

With nothing to listen to but the howling storm and their own whispered prayer's some believed they could almost hear a voice on the wind, screaming in bitter loneliness and solitude.

"...Jack?" Inside one storm battered house in a small village, a young woman looked up and peered through the dark, listening intently to the raging weather. Huddled close beside her, another woman; her mother kept her eyes closed tightly, clutching prayer beads and whispering to the Lord. Behind them both, protecting them with his strong arms was her father, his eyes closed and jaw set firmly. Neither seemed to have heard anything aside from the wind, ice and snow.

Still, the woman peered at the window across the room, trying to hear above her mothers fervent whispers. She knew it was impossible, that she hadn't really heard anything, but for a moment, she thought she'd heard the voice of a ghost.

When nothing but the chilling wail of the wind replied to her, the young woman closed her eyes again and pressed her lips to her clutched hands and resumed prayer. She prayed for their lives and for a memory.

"Feel better?"

When at last dawn came, it soothed the raging ice and snow and calmed the winds. It gently parted the clouds with the sun and looked down upon the thick blanket of white Winter's rage had brought with quiet serenity.

"No. I don't. Go away."

The new day drew the people from the nests of blankets in their homes and got them stoking the fires in their stoves and chipping away at the ice on their doorsteps.

Snow fell from the branches of trees and ice glittered in the sunlight. Gradually the Earth came out of the cold shock the night before had thrown it into and began to live again.

"What? After a performance like that? It was impressive mate."

Snow lightly danced across the frozen pond in the gentle breeze, playing around the furry toes of the tall rabbit standing at the edge of the pond.

"Want to talk about it?"

The wind blew a little harder, got a little colder and sent a great spray of snow off the pond and into the Easter Bunny's face, sending him staggering backward and covering his face with his paws. "All right! All right! No need to get frosty!" He exclaimed, frowning at the boy laying half on the ice of the pond and half in the frigid water. His frown was returned with an icy stare and he rolled his eyes, waving a paw dismissively. "I know when I'm not wanted, mate." With a sharp tap of a foot paw, a hole opened up beside the large rabbit, he stepped into it and was gone, leaving behind a delicate, white Snowdrop.

Laying out in the middle of the mostly froze pond, Jack Frost sighed and tilted his head back, staring up towards the sky. Last night's towering rage had given way to quiet exhaustion. It had been ten years since he'd first been lifted from the ice by the moon. Ten years and still, the only company he got was the occasional brief visit from a giant rabbit painting eggs and giggles from tiny fairies stealing teeth from the kids in the nearby village.

No one else ever said hello or even realized he was there. The nearby people actually walked through him if he got in their way and that was not a particularly pleasant experience.

He'd asked, prayed and begged for the moon to tell him more; to tell him why he was there, what he was supposed to do. But after telling him his name; Jack Frost, the moon had fallen silent, leaving him alone to wonder who he really was and why he'd risen up out of a frozen pond.

Some days he'd play with the children nearby, having whole adventures with them, even though not one knew he was there. Other days he'd fly far, far away to lands across the sea, bringing with him snow, frost and ice, swearing he'd never go back to that little pond; but he always returned.

And sometimes...

Sometimes he would demand answers and when none came, his rage would crash down upon the land in a terrible, freezing storm. If the people would not see him, speak to him or hear him, then they would fear him. They would tremble at his fury as he hurled ice and snow.

Then some days, he would just feel sad and lonely. Wondering if he was missing some important piece to a puzzle; a piece that was right in front of him, but just out of his reach.

"Who am I?" Jack whispered, reaching a pale hand up towards the sky. "What am I supposed to do?"

The sky was silent, the blue heavens looked serenely down at him. Closing his eyes, Jack bit his lip and then leapt to his feet, jumping out of the hole in the ice with a splash. "Who AM I!?" He bellowed, gripping his staff tightly in his hands.

"Jack."

Breath freezing in his throat, Jack frost clutched at the clasp of his cape, hardly daring to turn around. Someone had just said his name.

"Oh, Jack..."

Again! That person said his name again. Slowly Jack turned around and watched one of the young women from the village came through the trees. She had long brown hair and a beauty mark under her right eye; she looked sad.

"Jack you..." She said quietly, stopping at the edge of the pond. She sighed quietly and looked down, staring at her feet. A gentle breeze blew the snow around her and she blinked, looking at the Snowdrop left behind by the Easter Bunny.  
Crouching low, she gently reached out, touched it and then plucked it from the snowy ground, cradling it close to heart. "You wouldn't have been afraid last night." She said quietly, looking out across the empty pond.

Taking a breath, she stepped out onto the ice and slowly, she made her way to the hole in the ice.

"Be brave, Jack. Keep having fun." She said out loud, dropping the flower into the hole. She looked at it floating on the water for a moment before wiping a hand over her eyes, turning and carefully making her way off the pond and back towards the village.

She never realized she wasn't alone on the pond. She'd passed through the outstretched hand of Winter and for a moment, Jack Frost was warm.


End file.
